Quick Kicks: Best of the 3rd Qualifying Round of USOC

Paul Kowalczyk

Brockton FC United (Mass.) vs. NY Pancyprian Freedoms (Queens, NY)

My Open Cup game to keep an eye on this weekend is Brockton FC United vs Pancyprian Freedoms. The game will be this Sunday, November 24th, 12:30 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Massachusetts. Brockton FC just finished their season in the Bay State Soccer League where they finished 6th in Division 1 with a record of 6-3-8 (W, D, L) and a Goal Differential of +1, scoring 40 goals while conceding 39. Pancyprians on the other hand, are about halfway through their Cosmopolitan League Division 1 season where they currently sit 2nd with a record of 5-2-1 (W, D, L) and a Goal Differential of +13, scoring 23 goals while conceding 10. To get to the 3rd round of qualifying Brockton FC defeated, Massachusetts based UPSL Division 2 teams, Juve-Pro Soccer in the 1st round and Safira FC in the 2nd. The Pancyprians had a bye in the 1st round and defeated CSA Westchester in the 2nd. As announced earlier today, there will not be a 4th round of qualifying and the winners of the 3rd round match ups will directly qualify to the 1st round. Based on current league form I think the 3-time Open Cup winning Pancyprians will win this game relatively easily and qualify for the U.S. Open Cup.

Phil Baki

NTX Rayados vs Celtic Cowboys Premier

When you mention the US Open Cup in Texas, there is a team that is basically synonymous with that competition. NTX Rayados is looking to qualify out of the Open Division for a 9th consecutive year, already holding the record at 8. Last season, they defeated Motagua of New Orleans in the 3rd Qualifying Round before seeing off FC Maritsa in the unprecedented 4th Qualifying Round to earn a berth in the proper rounds of the Cup. There, they saw off Little Rock Rangers of the NPSL before falling to USL Championship club OKC Energy in the 2nd Round. This pedigree is daunting. They have not slowed down at all in their pursuit of number 9 either. They have already defeated FC Fort Worth and absolutely demolished UPSL National Finalists Inocentes Fort Worth to earn this 3rd Qualifying Round spot. Leading scorer Mohamed Sesay leads all goalscorers in qualifying with 6 goals in two games. NTX look set to continue their Open Cup appearance streak, but their challenger will have something to say about that.

Celtic Cowboys Premier, of Austin, Texas have reached the furthest point in Qualifying in their history. They had defeated SA Runners SC but ran into perennial contenders Motagua and could not overcome the more experienced side, falling by a score of 3-2 in the 2nd Qualifying Round. This year, they’ve gotten past their opposition in impressive style. A 7-1 thrashing of GCPL club Central Texas Lobos was followed up by a 3-0 win over familiar foe SA Runners. The goal scoring onslaught has been lead by Christopher Wright, who has 5 goals to his name across the two matches. This club has shown that the current version is different than the ones we have seen in previous qualifying campaigns and this matchup should prove to be one of the most intriguing of the Qualifying Rounds.

In what will be a test of Rayados experience and resolve against Celtic Cowboys equally impressive attack, the game will likely be decided in a moment of brilliance. Unfortunately for one of these teams, either a great Qualifying run will end or a great run of Open Cup appearances will end. Either way, the match should be a fantastic matchup and I for one can’t wait.

John Howard-Fusco

Vereinigung Erzgebirge v West Chester United SC

A couple of Pennsylvania clubs with a long history and who know each other well meet this Sunday in the third round of Open Cup qualifying as Vereinigung Erzgebirge of Warminster hosts West Chester United SC at its home field in Bucks County.

VE traces its history back to 1931 when the sporting and social club was founded by immigrants from eastern Germany. West Chester United was founded in 1976 and has grown considerably from its modest beginnings as a youth club. West Chester United is the current reigning champions of the Northeast Elite Soccer League in USASA’s Region I. These two teams compete against each other on a regular basis as members of the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania.

To get to this qualifying round, Vereinigung Erzgebirge had to face off on October 20th against another local rival in the form of United German Hungarians. The match would go scoreless for 90 minutes, but in extra time VE would find the back of the net twice to take home the victory. In two qualifying games, VE has outscored its opponents 6-1.        

West Chester United advanced to this round by beating Lansdowne Bhoys from Yonkers in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League 4-2 on October 19th thanks to a pair of braces from Andreas Bartosinski and Andrew (A.J.) Bishop. Bishop and teammate Charles Wilson are amongst the goal scoring leaders so far in Open Cup qualifying.

Not only do these two clubs battle each other regularly on the pitch in a local league, these very same teams met in the first round of Open Cup qualifying last year. It was West Chester United who triumphed in last year’s game, and the club would go on to qualify for the Open Cup. Vereinigung Erzgebirge has not qualified for the Open Cup since 2002. In that year’s tournament, VE would end up losing 4-0 to the South Jersey Barons of the then USL D3 Pro league. The Barons would eventually become the Ocean City Nor’easters.      

Jose Davila IV

Oxnard Guerreros FC vs. Cal FC

Southern California sides Oxnard Guerreros FC and Cal FC will meet at Del Sol Stadium in Oxnard on Saturday at 6:30pm.

The two UPSL teams will face off for a spot in round one of the U.S. Open Cup proper. On Friday afternoon, US Soccer announced that the winners of the third round qualifying round games would advance into the tournament proper. Cal FC reached round one last year and are aiming to make it two seasons in a row of advancing to that stage. The Thousand Oaks-based team is best remembered for upsetting the Portland Timbers in the Cup back in 2012. The Guerreros have yet to advance to that stage.

Cal FC reached the third round by virtue of a 3-1 win over fellow UPSL side Alta California Sol after a pair of first half goals, one by former LA Galaxy academy player Willie Raygoza. Raygoza is tied for second in goals scored in this year’s Open Cup qualifying matches and is the man to watch for Cal FC.

The hosts secured their spot in the tie with a 7-1 drubbing of Outbreak FC, a SoCal Premier League side. Raul Gonzalez led the charge with a hat-trick, while Brendan Frame added two more. Gonzalez also tallied a hat-trick in the OGFC’s last league match against Sporting San Fernando on November 16. OGFC won that one 4-0 and Gonzalez was nominated for UPSL Player of the Week.

The two clubs are separated by one point through 10 games in the 12-game UPSL SoCal North Division 1 2019 Fall Season as Cal FC sit fourth above OGFC. Guerreros FC will again host Cal FC in the UPSL regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 30.

The Open Cup match will be the first in a weekend doubleheader for the hosts as they take on Inland Empire FC in the league on Sunday in Grand Terrace.

Dan Vaughn

Louisiana Krewe FC vs. Livonia FC

The Krewe have had a travel-free run so far, playing all three qualifying matches within their home state. This has paid off with 2 strong wins against Northshore United and then Atletico Katy. However, the opponent waiting for them in the next round is a battle-hardened foe. Livonia City FC will definitely feel the miles, traveling from Michigan. They will be fighting uphill against a well-rested, slept-in-their-own-beds, Krewe team. Both clubs will be excited with today’s announcement that this round of qualifiers would be the last and winners would advance to the Open Cup proper.

When I spoke with the Krewe this afternoon, they are really celebrating this year’s run. “We are having a blast playing together and competing against such talented teams. It was amazing to see improvements vs Northshore United as they had beaten us in the GCPL semifinals a month or so before the 1st Round.“ That improvement has them confident headed into this weekend’s match, but they aren’t looking past their opponent. “We are excited to see what level Livonia City FC has to offer, as far as we can see their team is highly dedicated to the sport and are likely to play like they have nothing to lose.”

I think that the Krewe are going to have a big advantage playing at home. Of course, nothing is 100% and Livonia has shown the ability to battle through tough circumstances, including getting through on pens in the first round and going on the road to win 6-2 in the second. But I need to pick a winner, so I’ll take the club wearing our logo - Louisiana Krewe.

Quick Kicks: Open Cup Qualifiers Round 2

While the US Open Cup is one of the most exciting tournaments in the country, it’s hard to get too excited when it’s always MLS sides finishing the competition. That’s why grassroots fans embrace this portion of the tournament, the qualifiers. This weekend, we move into round 2 of the qualifiers and while there are a lot of matches, we picked 4 of our favorites to watch out for.

Dan Vaughn

Inocentes FC vs. NTX Rayados

Inocentes has long been a favorite club of mine because of their story, their leadership. and the excellence they exhibit on the field every season. It’s hard to hate on a club full of immigrants and the descendants of immigrants making good on the promise of freedom. They’ve consistently finished the season in the top of their division and typically make a run into the national playoffs. This year, they are also trying to add a trip into the Open Cup proper. Their first qualifying match was against Lone Star Republic which they won 2-1.

Their opponent in round 2 is USOC veteran NTX Rayados. Rayados have made quite a name for themselves as a giant killer, qualifying for the Open Cup 8 straight years. Their deepest run came in 2018, when they knocked off an NPSL side, 2 USL Championship sides, before losing to MLS side Houston Dynamo in the 4th round. They are a veteran side who knows how to go through the grind of qualifying and come out ready for the Open Cup.

While I love the grit of Inocentes FC, I can’t ignore history. I think Rayados advance, because they always advance.

JoSe Davila IV

AFC Ann Arbor vs. Livonia City FC

After a 10-man penalty kick win in the first round against tournament debutantes Wayne County Sporting, Livonia City FC will meet new USL2 side AFC Ann Arbor in Brighton, MI for a Southeastern Michigan battle on Saturday night. A year ago, the two teams faced off in the first qualifying round with Livonia City beating then-NPSL team Ann Arbor in a 10-man 4-3 double overtime win. The MPSL club would go on to beat Aurora Borealis in the second round before falling to St. Louis Maritsa in the third.

The Mighty Oak will be coming in to the match fresh and looking to avenge last year’s loss after receiving a random first-round bye. Ann Arbor has had a busy offseason, jumping to USL2, re-signing coach Eric Rudland, naming Boyzzz Khumalo its women’s team head coach, and seeing alum Stanley Okumu sign for first division Swedish side IF Elfsborg.

Look out for LCFC striker Ardit Dushkaj on Saturday night. After Wayne County Sporting went 2-0 up before halftime, he completed a brace after scoring from open play in the 56th minute before converting a last-minute penalty kick to send the game into overtime.

Since that win, LCFC suffered a 7-0 beating at former USL1 side Lansing Ignite in a one-off friendly. They’ll be looking to get back on the right track against the Might Oak.

Joshua Duder

Olympic Club of San Francisco vs. Oakland Stompers

This Saturday, October 19th, Olympic Club of San Francisco will host competition from the East Bay in a battle of historic proportions. The “Winged-Os” soccer team was born from the oldest athletic club in the United States, which was first named the San Francisco Olympic Club, and established in 1860. Of course, back then it was largely a boxing, golf, and other athletics organization. They did, however, help found the San Francisco Soccer Football League in 1914 and by 1916 won their first league title – they would go on to win the league another eight times, then in 1946, won a California State Cup.

Just last month, on September 22nd, Olympic Club convincingly defeated UPSL’s JASA of Redwood City, 4-0. This weekend, the “Winged-Os” will host Oakland Stompers at the Beach Chalet Soccer Fields, in San Francisco, for a 7:00 pm kickoff. The UPSL Oakland team were founded in 2012 and are the heirs of the Stompers surname – a club who played in the NASL for only one season, 1977-78, but had a massive impact on soccer culture in the East Bay. Oakland don’t intend on just rolling over for the historic San Franciscan soccer team – they won last month too, defeating Contra Costa FC 1-0. A lower-league soccer, Battle for the Bay, should be an absolute treat of a match to catch in the second qualifying round of the US Open Cup.

Dan Creel

Christos FC vs. Federal City Wanderers

D.C.’s lone qualifier, Federal City Wanderers, will get its first taste of Open Cup competition after receiving a bye due to the withdrawal of Izee Auto from the tournament. But, the draw may not have been kind to the DC Premier League champions.

Their opponent, Baltimore’s Christos FC, also received a first round bye in the initial draw. The club has been powering its way through the Maryland Major Soccer League’s 1st Division this season. Christos is unbeaten in five games running up a massive 30-3 goal differential. Plus, the team is a veteran of national cup play, making its Cinderella USOC run in 2017 as well as winning multiple USASA national cups.

USOC qualifying always provides an interesting venue to compare the competitive levels of clubs and their leagues. Christos FC is again one of the top choices to qualify out of the East Region. But, matches aren’t won based on opinions and Federal City will get its chance to prove that.

The game will be at 6pm on Sunday at Glen Burnie High School in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

Paul Kowalczyk

West Chester United vs Lansdowne Bhoys FC

On Saturday October, 19th West Chester United will be hosting the Bhoys from Yonkers, New York at Kildare’s Turf Field in West Chester, Pennsylvania for the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Round. To get here, West Chester United defeated Danubia FC 5-0 while Lansdowne Bhoys defeated Clifton Elite FC 4-2, going up 4-0 before Clifton Elite scored two late goals to keep it interesting. West Chester United competes in the NPSL as well as the USL of Pennsylvania, an amateur soccer league in Eastern Pennsylvania, and the Lansdowne Bhoys FC compete in the Cosmopolitan League of New York City.

West Chester United are coming off a strong year having won the 2018-2019 USL of Pennsylvania season in the spring as well as topping the Keystone Conference table in the NPSL over the summer. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to Motown FC. The 2019-2020 season of USL Pennsylvania started up again last month and runs until May where they currently sit 3rd in table, having only lost one out of four games. In August, Lansdowne Bhoys FC won the Champions of Regions where they beat ASC New Stars of Houston in the finals. They have just started their regular season in the Cosmopolitan League where they sit second, going undefeated through five games. I think West Chester United should win this game but it will be a tight match as Lansdowne Bhoys FC are a very competitive team who could pull off an upset.